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CentralOctober 2019 www.uco.edu

UCO Again Named ‘Great College to Work For’ The Chronicle of Higher Education named Central as one of the “2019 Great Colleges to Work For.” As the only public institution in the state to receive the designation, UCO joins Baylor University, Texas Christian University and University of Southern California on the list. Within the survey’s 12- year history, this is the 11th year in which Central has been named to the list, with past recognitions in 2008 and 2010-18. UCO ranks among the best nationally in five of the survey’s 12 categories: facilities, workspace and security; professional/career development programs; teaching environment; tenure clarity and process; and, work/life balance.

UCO Cultivates Esports Presence Central recently has established a collegiate esports presence, with a competitive esports club – with 250 student members, two credit-bearing courses in esports with full enrollment and plans to convert a former bookstore to a gaming arena. Esports, or electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games that connects people from around the world through gaming. A new gaming arena space will allow Central to host local, regional and national competitions, provide academic space for esports courses and connect with local high school and community members.

Central Professor Named Fulbright Recipient UCO professor of engineering and physics Morshed Khandaker, Ph.D., received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Turkey for the 2019-20 academic year. Khandaker is conducting research at Bursa Uludag University as part of a project titled “Effect of Laser Induced Microgrooving on Total Knee Replacement Impant.” Khandaker joined Central’s faculty in 2008 and has since led research exploring potential uses of nanotechnology in the field of biomedicine. Central Students Win Big at 2019 Parapan Games More than 1,890 athletes, including four UCO students, from 33-member nations competed in 17 sports and 18 disciplines at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru. American Para taekwondo athlete and UCO sophomore Evan Medell brought home gold and will advance to the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. Central junior Jeremy Campbell took home silver in the men’s discus F64 class event and will go on to compete in the world championships in November. Additionally, the UCO-based U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball and U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball teams won gold and silver, respectively, with the women’s team already qualifying for the 2020 Paralympic Games.

UCO Earns All-Steinway School Designation Central recently earned its designation as an “All-Steinway School,” joining more than 150 schools worldwide in garnering the prestigious classification. In order to be designated as an “All-Steinway School,” all performance spaces, piano teaching studios and practice rooms for piano majors must be equipped with Steinway pianos. Additionally, all pianos must be part of a Steinway-approved maintenance program. The initiative gained momentum within the last five years, with more than half of the school’s pianos purchased within that time period.

Top Achieving Central Students Recognized UCO students Nathaniel Heinen, Mateah Lewis and Katayla Mongold received UCO Scholastic Awards in recognition of their exceptional academic work during the 2018-19 academic year. The scholastic awards are given annually to three students who earn the highest GPA with the most credit hours during their combined fall and spring semesters. The University Scholastic Award is awarded to the top junior or senior student, while two Freshman Scholastic Awards are awarded to the top freshman male and female student.

UCO Introduces Automatic Scholarships Central incoming freshmen and transfer students will automatically be awarded academic scholarships with the submission of a completed online application and all admissions-related documents by the deadline for the term for which they apply. Incoming freshmen automatically can receive up to $2,000 per year for four years, depending on their high school GPA and ACT score. Applicants also are automatically submitted for consideration for other select UCO scholarships for which they may qualify when they apply for admission by the term deadline.

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